Peyton's Path: Fickle Fate: Book 3 Read online

  The tinkling of the bell above the door resounded in the packed space. Nearly every booth and table were filled, despite the location of the diner. I knew Business 101 was location, location, location, and I would have never believed that it could be so busy. Its location wasn’t ideal and far off the beaten path. It shocked me how busy they were, especially at noon on a Friday.

  It was a bit rundown and in dire need of some TLC, but it was clean. The waitresses wore cute retro red and white pinstripe uniforms with white aprons. They also wore matching caps to complete the look.

  “Seat yourself, hun,” an older woman said with a welcoming smile as she bustled past with two carafes of coffee.

  Crew linked our hands together and pulled us towards an empty booth, past the bar-like seating. I followed him and looked at the daily specials posted on the blackboard above the order window. My eyes caught on a stuffed burger that had jalapenos, bacon, and cheddar cheese.

  I immediately knew that I would order it, along with the loaded french fries and a banana milkshake. After coffee, of course.

  I noticed how Crew chose the diner’s back corner, where it was less crowded and had a couple of open tables nearby. Instinctively, I knew he was conscious of my newfound phobia of crowds and people. I silently exhaled as I noticed no one seemed to be tracking our arrival or gave us a second glance.

  We had barely sat down before Coop came storming into the diner, Sal sauntering in slightly behind him.

  “Are you trying to get us fired?” Cooper growled as he hovered over our table.

  Crew immediately stood back up and straightened to his full height. “I suggest you settle down. I texted you when we got here. She will always be safe with me, and I will protect her with my life. Grandpa Delaney was already aware of our ride. Your job was never in jeopardy.”

  I frowned slightly. I knew all these new measures were there to protect me, since Tormentor, AKA Pearce Webber, was still out there somewhere. Despite Coach’s testimony, the FBI had investigated my claims. Unfortunately, Pearce Webber had an alibi with his wife and two children. They even interviewed Percy Webber, his identical twin brother, and he was in court for several days last month, giving him an alibi.

  “Is the food any good here?” Sal asked.

  I feigned a smile, realizing he was trying to break the tension between the two very headstrong men.

  “I heard they have good corned beef hash, potato pancakes, burgers, and shakes,” I answered.

  It had taken me at least four days to even speak to my bodyguards. I had felt so claustrophobic and censored with them continually hovering. When the guys tried to show me affection, I felt like I couldn’t be free, afraid of Sal and Coop’s judgment. Not everyone was understanding of our arrangement.

  I understood their presence was supposed to comfort me; instead, it made me feel like I was always under a microscope. It took Lochlann intervening to finally give me some breathing room. He made them understand they didn’t need to follow me in and out of every room or check every room before I entered it.

  “If you like homemade chicken and dumplings, Aunt Bea just made some,” a pretty young girl, maybe a year or two older than me, answered as she appreciatively eyed the three men.

  I barely refrained from rolling my eyes as I noticed her beautiful peach complexion on display, including her generous cleavage, her arms, her neck. I self-consciously tugged my sleeves down and made sure my scarf was still firmly in place.

  I never realized how much skin could mean to me. This was only the second time I had left the property since I’d returned. And the same feeling of inadequacy was threatening to choke me. I knew it would be some time before I could ever go out in public with my skin on display. I was afraid of the disgust I could see in other people’s eyes. Or worse, their pity.

  “Mmm, I do love me some chicken and dumplings,” Sal groaned appreciatively before sinking into the booth nearby.

  Like Crew, his presence in the intimate seating was evident. They both took up nearly the whole booth with their larger-than-life physique. I was thankful Sal was giving us some semblance of privacy by not sitting with us.

  “I’m Summer, and I’ll be your waitress today. Can I get y'all started with a drink?” the waitress inquired as if two men weren’t still standing toe to toe, glaring each other down.

  “Coffee, black,” Coop stood down first, concisely speaking as he took the seat across from Sal.

  “I’ll try a chocolate peanut butter milkshake with a glass of water,” Sal said jovially.

  The big oaf was really growing on me. How he was rumored to be a “killing” machine was beyond me. How the DOD hired him as a secret service agent− once upon a time− was mystifying. How did he pass the interview process?

  “Coffee,” Crew grunted.

  “Coffee and water for now, and a banana milkshake for when my meal comes, please,” I stated. “And can you make sure my Shadows are put on our bill?”

  I heard Coop scoff, and Sal began to chuckle. Crew covered a snort of laughter. I smiled behind my hand, glad my ploy worked. I could see I confused Summer, but her customer service smile soon covered it up.

  Although they were paid generously, I still felt somewhat responsible for them. That and I knew Coop would hate my insistence on paying. It took him some time to agree to eat what we were eating at the house. Sal wasn’t as hard to convince. After seeing him eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches three times a day for three days straight, I couldn’t take it any longer. I insisted they eat what we were eating, even if they didn’t sit with us at times.

  Just as I suspected, Coop began to protest but was quickly shut down by Crew. “I’ll take the bill,” he said in a tone that brooked no argument.

  Coop knew a losing battle. Crew and Kyler had no problem speaking up for me and putting Coop in his place when needed. Lochlann and Zane were more diplomatic about it all, of course. Golden and Paxton almost seemed neutral.

  “Three coffees, two glasses of water, and a chocolate peanut butter shake coming right up,” Summer chirped.

  “Shadows?” Coop inquired the moment she walked away.

  “Shh, shadows don’t talk,” I admonished him before I linked my hands with Crew’s over the table.

  Sal guffawed with laughter while Coop scoffed once more.

  “Thank you for today and all your hard work on my bike.” I smiled at Crew.

  He was silent for a moment before he picked up one of my hands and kissed the back of it. “I would do it over and over again to see that smile on your face.”

  I frowned for a moment. It was hard to smile nowadays while my mind was crowded by fear, pain, memories, and insecurities.

  “I’m trying,” I say quietly.

  “And no one’s rushing you,” Crew gruffly said, obviously displeased by reminding me of my mood of late.

  “And that’s why I lo− like you so much,” I quickly amended my words.

  Was it too early to “love” them? How do you measure your feelings? Was it time? Was it tons of little gestures that added to the final “ah-ha” moment? I didn’t know. I never loved one man before− save Lucas, but he didn’t count let alone six.

  All I knew was that they had all wormed their way into my heart for different reasons. I knew I loved them when I was abducted. However, I didn’t want to be the first one to utter the words. I would wait for them.

  I didn’t want to be rash in my decision or my words. I knew the guys made me happy. I knew they were helping me in my recovery progress, that they had always been there for me. An accurate measure of a person’s character could be measured on how they reacted and behaved when you were at the lowest point of your life. Each one of them had shown me they were men I wanted by my side. Even Golden, despite my distrust of late.

  Golden was still on rocky ground with me, but I knew he was trying to prove that he and Madison hadn’t ever been an item. Though there were a lot of little moments I felt like he was genuinely vested in us, there were stil
l times I had my doubts.

  “Ditto,” Crew said with a slight smirk on his lips. I knew he had caught my faux pas and was allowing me to pretend I’d meant something else.

  “I feel overwhelmed at times,” I admitted to him quietly. “It’s hard to even try to smile.”

  “You’re strong, and I know you’ll find more reasons to smile as each day passes,” he said firmly.

  I nodded and looked down at our interlocked hands. I watched as Crew bent down to brush his lips across my hand, his hair falling into his eyes and face endearingly. He looked up, conviction in his gaze.

  I could see the confidence he had in me. I could see his unspoken agreement to help me through this. I could see his unwavering faith in my strength of character.

  I knew I was strong. I lost count of how many times I had been knocked down in life. Sure, I had pulled myself up several times. Only this time, I had a formidable support system to make sure I stayed up. However, I was daunted by the task ahead.

  I took a deep mental breath in.

  Baby steps— one foot in front of the other. The mountain I had to climb was a tall one, but I wouldn’t ever reach the top unless I kept moving.

  So, I nodded at Crew and smiled.

  2

  ●

  Notoriety

  Over lunch, Crew quizzed me over our mid-term English exam, effectively distracting me from my thoughts and emotions. My teachers were reluctant at first to give me any of my schoolwork. They wanted to give me the time to catch up, but after four days of being locked up in the house, I knew I needed something to keep my mind busy.

  I threw myself into my schoolwork, even on weekends, and I had finally caught up yesterday. Without all the school distractions, I had come to the realization that I could complete assignments quicker, even with my mindless reality shows playing in the background.

  Grandpa tried to hire me a tutor for the rest of the year. I refused it. I didn’t want or need another stranger in my life. Plus, I was confident I could catch up rather quickly. I only had three classes, for Pete’s sake. Calculus was rough, but there were many aids my teacher pointed me towards, and Zane was an immense help.

  I gasped when I finally checked my vibrating phone. “Woah, look at the time!”

  I noticed several missed texts. We were supposed to leave in less than an hour, and I hadn’t even packed yet. It was so unlike me, but honestly, up until this morning, I wasn’t sure I was ready to leave the house yet.

  Sure, we had planned it, and it was for my bike, but after my return, I never would have thought I would be agoraphobic. I had a panic attack the last time I left the house, and I was afraid to have a repeat. It was embarrassing and terrifying, and it only amped up my anxiety levels higher.

  If it weren’t for Amazon and grocery stores that delivered, I was pretty sure we’d be living off of take-out. The one and only time I sent the guys to get my grocery list ended in a slight headache. They had to go back two more times before they got it right, and I hated being a burden.

  I sent out a quick group text.

  Peyton: Sorry, time got away from me. I’m good. Crew and I got my bike running, so we decided to go for a ride and eat. OMW.

  I didn’t even wait to see their individual responses before I slipped my phone back into the inside of my jacket pocket.

  “Let’s go,” Crew stood and held out his hand to help me.

  I grabbed his hand, and as we made our way out, I could hear the first whispers.

  “I’m pretty sure it’s her. It has to be her,” a woman’s voice said adamantly.

  I tensed up, knowing they were talking about me. Crew seemed to have heard, too, because he immediately moved me in front of him and walked stiltedly to protect my back and keep me in the curve of his body.

  The aisle to the door was narrow, so it made it awkward to walk this way. My legs weren’t nearly as long as his.

  “Peyton Delaney,” I heard my name being called by an unfamiliar voice moments before a hand came out and wrapped around my upper arm.

  Both Crew and I were so startled that I tripped over Crew’s foot and was falling unceremoniously in the direction of the hand that pulled on me.

  Suddenly, I was nearly face-to-face with a man I had never met. The pungent smell of alcohol hit my nose first before my gaze fell on a pair of muddy brown eyes. I immediately began to tremble, and my mind started shutting down.

  “You need to tell the cops the truth, girlie,” he drawled in a backwoods accent. “Coach Stephen Carson is an honest, upstanding member of this community. He would have never taken any girls and bred them like dogs. He has coached and raised hundreds of good men. Who are you to accuse him of all the lies?”

  The sheer hatred and disbelief were like a slap in the face. One second I was blinking in confusion and fear at the stranger, and the next second, Crew had his hand wrapped around the man’s throat, slamming the man’s head into the glass window behind him.

  “That man was a pedophile and a deviant,” Crew growled.

  I heard a scuffle to my right and noticed both Coop and Sal had his companions restrained as well.

  “I told you that was her!” a woman’s voice exclaimed.

  “Peyton, look this way,” an adolescent voice called out to me next.

  I looked up and noticed all eyes were on me. As a performer, you would think I was accustomed to being the center of attention. This attention was entirely different, though. I felt like a freak. So many people were privy to the torture I had been put through, thanks to a loose-lipped nurse.

  Suddenly, people believed they had the right to know every nitty-gritty part of my life. And not just what I had suffered at the hands of my kidnappers. The absence of my mother and “father” had been brought to light as well, and suddenly my credibility had been questioned. They began to question if it was all a hoax and a cry for attention.

  When had victims become the accused?

  Everyone in the restaurant was now standing up and looking at me. Some of them began to crowd me in. Others whipped out their cellphones, eager to record me and the circus that had become my life.

  “A whore lured our honorable Coach into a sordid relationship and then cried rape,” the man said between gasping breaths.

  Crew’s fingers tightened around the man’s throat. The man tried to fight against him, but Crew, on any typical day, was formidable. In anger, he was scary as hell.

  My vision was filled with blackness. The air was quickly leaving my lungs. I felt like the walls were closing in on me. Was this man serious? Did he not pay attention to the news reports? Coach Carson admitted to his transgressions. My accusations weren’t unfounded or fabricated.

  “You leave that girl alone,” I heard an older woman’s voice admonish as plump arms wrapped around me from behind. “You all need to mind your own and get back to eating or get out!”

  I yelped, and the older woman immediately started to shush me.

  “Hush, now, girl,” she said soothingly. “Aunt Bea got you now,” she murmured.

  She ushered me out the door. “I prayed for you, you know,” she added as she led me outside. “What those men did to you was atrocious. You were a strong, brave girl. Girls that survived what you did are indestructible.”

  I was unable to speak, and her words seemed far away, lost in the foggy haze surrounding my brain. I vaguely registered her words as Sal appeared, ushering me towards his car. I could see several men pulling Crew off of the man, but it all felt like I was on the outside looking in.

  Sal opened the door before directing me towards it. “Sit, Peyton,” he said as he pushed me gently into a seat. “You’re okay. Breathe, you’re safe.”

  An elephant was sitting on my chest. I felt like I was desperately trying to seek air through a straw as someone plugged my nose.

  “This is why going out wasn’t a good idea!” Coop said as he came storming out of the diner.

  Crew was a few steps behind him, clearly pissed as he stormed ove
r to me. I knew he was blaming himself. I knew he was second-guessing this outing. Coop’s reprimand was going to haunt him for days to come.

  Crew pulled me into a tight embrace and spoke gruffly in my ear, “Five things you see.”

  I looked at him with panic. I grasped my chest and felt nausea threatening to heave up my delicious meal.

  “Five things you see,” Crew repeated.

  I looked at the storm in his gray eyes. I saw the concern in Aunt Bea’s eyes even as she grasped one of my hands. I looked up at the sky and noticed the clouds rolling across the perfect sunny sky despite the black clouds that followed me. I could see Coop pacing as he talked on the phone. Sal placed a cold bottle of water in my hands.

  “Four things you can feel,” Crew said as some of the tightness began to ease.

  I could feel the condensation from the bottle coat my fingers. I could feel Crew’s gentle touch as he trailed his fingers on my upper arms. Aunt Bea squeezed one of my hands. The breeze caressed my skin.

  My breathing was less shallow.

  “Three things you can hear,” Crew said next.

  I closed my eyes, trying to do some of the meditation exercises I had YouTubed. “Leaves,” I gasped out. “A loud muffler,” I said as I heard a vehicle pass us. I heard Coop curse before I heard the sirens drawing nearer.

  My eyes popped open, and I leaned my head back against the leather seats. I guess we weren’t going to be leaving in an hour.

  ●

  “Are you sure you don’t want to press charges, Peyton?” Officer Pope gently asked as he looked over at the backwoods redneck and his buddies.

  I nodded my head. “Yes,” I answered concisely.

  I hated the scrutinizing looks I was getting. I knew I had lived as a hermit for almost two weeks, but I had hoped the sensationalism of my abduction and return would have died down by now.